There was a ‘bang’ sound, not too loud or too small. Both Qin Wanwan and Yan Wushuang turned to look. Qin Wanwan shouted, “Who’s there?!”
The loud shout startled Jian Xingzhi so much that he forgot to escape and crouched into the nearby flower bushes, using all of his lifetime’s cultivation to conceal himself.
He truly had no idea what level of cultivation this Lady of Jishan possessed, or whether she could detect him. All he could do was muster his full strength to resist the enemy, thinking that if worse came to worst, he’d go down fighting…
The net can’t be broken even if the fish dies!
Thinking of how he had personally handed over that Soul Binding Talisman, Jian Xingzhi bitterly regretted his choices. Crouching on the ground, he held a tiny tree branch over his head, as if it could shield him from his fate.
Qin Wanwan rushed to the window, flung it open, and swiftly scanned the surroundings with her Divine Sense, only to find nothing at all.
Xie Gutang and Nan Feng also heard the commotion and rushed into the room, hurrying to Qin Wanwan’s side. “What happened?”
“It seemed like someone was here just now,” Qin Wanwan said with a frown.
Xie Gutang swept the area again with his Divine Sense and shook his head: “I didn’t sense anything.”
Just as the words left his mouth, a black cat leapt lightly off the wall. “Was it… a cat?” Nan Feng asked, puzzled.
“Probably,” Qin Wanwan nodded.
The three of them were finally relieved. Just as Qin Wanwan was about to lower the window, she suddenly sensed something was off. She turned around and saw the bundle of branches which Jian Xingzhi was holding.
That bundle of branches seemed to be moving slightly, yet also seemed still. Qin Wanwan stared at it, puzzled, and asked: “Why is that branch moving?”
Xie Gutang and Nan Feng looked over as well, but before they had time to take a closer look, a loud bang sounded behind them. Xie Gutang reacted first, shouting toward Yan Wushuang, who had just dashed out: “Stop right there!”
Yan Wushuang had already secretly loosened the ropes. Now that he finally saw a chance, there was no way he would stop. He bolted straight for the exit, yelling at the top of his lungs as he ran: “Help! Murder! They’re trying to defile a pure, untouched young man! Someone help! Save me!!”
His cultivation wasn’t anything impressive, but he ran astonishingly fast, like a slippery old mudfish, leading Xie Gutang, Qin Wanwan, and the others on a wild chase around the courtyard.
Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang watched as he dashed out of the side hall. The rest of the Yue Lao Temple was bustling with people. Worried about alerting the guards in Huangcheng, Qin Wanwan hurriedly stopped in her tracks and held Xie Gutang back: “Forget it.”
Xie Gutang and Nan Feng looked over together. Qin Wanwan gritted her teeth and said: “He’s probably already spilled most of what he knows. Whatever’s left won’t make much of a difference. Let’s go back for now.”
Xie Gutang had only come to help. Since Qin Wanwan wasn’t going after Yan Wushuang, he no longer had a reason to chase either. He simply nodded without saying much.
Qin Wanwan looked in the direction where Yan Wushuang had disappeared, let out a sigh, then turned to Xie Gutang and said: “Daoist Xie, thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Xie Gutang shook his head: “I didn’t really do much to help anyway.”
“It’s getting late,” Qin Wanwan said, glancing up at the sky, “Let’s head back. If we’re too late, Master will probably be upset again.”
Speaking of Jian Xingzhi, Xie Gutang laughed: “Senior’s sword intent is pure, but his mindset is like a child’s.”
“Yes,” Qin Wanwan sighed. “The kind that never even finished elementary school.”
As she spoke, the image of Jian Xingzhi’s back, walking away with trinkets and snacks in his arms, looking dejected, flashed in her mind. She couldn’t help but quicken her steps, wanting to go back and see what he was doing.
They left the Yue Lao Temple, and Jian Xingzhi felt their presence gradually fade away. Finally, he relaxed, let go of the branch, sat down on the ground, and breathed heavily.
Once he had recovered, he began to digest the shocking news.
Qin Wanwan is the Lady of Jishan, the one ranked 21st on the combat power rankings, the very same Lady of Jishan who sent him into this small world with a single strike!
But if she was able to send him to this world, why is she here too, and it also seems like she’s investigating something.
And since she’s already here, why does she still pretend to be weak and harmless? Why, after knowing that he is Jian Xingzhi, does she endure humiliation and carry the burden of having him by her side, acting as his obedient disciple?
Jian Xingzhi’s mind raced, thinking through all kinds of possibilities. After pondering for a long time, he suddenly had a realization.
Could it be… this is her revenge?!
She was unwilling to fight him in a duel and let him improve his cultivation through battle. So she used a special spell to bring him to this small world, then disguised herself as innocent and harmless, gaining his trust. She wanted to obtain his sword techniques, his body, and… his heart!
Since coming to this world, he had been constantly thwarted, forced into wearing pink clothes, having to wear butterfly hairpins, being electrocuted at every turn, and being beaten every time.
He had given her his sect’s secret techniques, refined her body, helped her overcome tribulations, and even gave her the Soul Binding Talisman, allowing her to hold his life in her hands.
What’s even more tragic is that he… he… he actually fell in love with her!
If he confessed successfully tonight, it might play right into her hands. After all, she once said, the greatest revenge isn’t physical, but the humiliation that cuts deepest in the heart.
If he confessed, she would deceive him, taking his body, heart, techniques, and wealth, and then the two of them would return to the Immortal Realm together. By then, she would have mastered his cultivation method, and he wouldn’t be able to defeat her. On top of that, he would have to endure the emotional humiliation. Who knows, she might have even recorded the whole shameful affair just to replay it across the Immortal Realm for everyone to see…
Thinking of such a scene, he thought death was better.
“Master,” Seeing Jian Zhixing’s thoughts spiraling further off track, 666 couldn’t bear to watch anymore and stepped in to stop his wild speculations, “You’ve spent quite some time with the female lead, don’t just assume the worst. Try focusing on her good qualities instead.”
Hearing that, Jian Xingzhi slowly came back to his senses, thinking that such a terrible assumption might not actually be true.
“You’re right,” Jian Xingzhi said, calming down and analyzing the situation, “The top priority now is to keep Qin Wanwan steady, maintain the current dynamic and make sure she doesn’t do anything drastic.”
“And then?” 666 asked, growing curious about what kind of plan Jian Xingzhi might come up with.
“Then, I’ll probe her true intentions while finding a way to trick the Soul Binding Talisman back.”
Jian Xingzhi planned carefully: “I can’t leave my life in the hands of my enemy. If she doesn’t have any harmful intentions toward me, that’s great. But if she does want me dead, then at the very least, I need a chance to fight back!”
“Have you ever considered that maybe she just wants to be friends with you?” 666 asked cautiously. Jian Xingzhi’s expression fell with a hint of frustration.
“How is that even possible?” Jian Xingzhi sighed deeply, “Even if Qin Wanwan isn’t a bad person, she, like me, was dragged into this world against her will. That means, she got caught up in this mess because of me, right?”
“It seems so…..”
“I feel angry whenever I think she brought me into this world to suffer. But I’m the one who took the initiative to smash her mountain gate, beat her, dragged her into this small world, continued to beat her here, even threatened her countless times and said many harsh things to her face. Even if she were a saint, she would still hold a grudge.”
“What you said… makes some sense.”
666 was convinced by his reasoning. Jian Xingzhi sat cross-legged on the ground, growing more and more frustrated as he thought about it: “And remember that match from a few days ago? That person stepped on her face, and in an instant, she exploded. Didn’t you see how she beat that person to pulp? Think about it, this shows how much she cares about someone stepping on her face. I’ve stepped on hers more than once. Do you really think she’ll let me off?”
“She won’t.”
Without waiting for 666 to respond, Jian Xingzhi gave the answer himself: “She just hasn’t had the right opportunity for revenge yet. It’s just a matter of time. It’s already good enough that she doesn’t hate me. How could she want to be friends!”
As he spoke, Jian Xingzhi gripped his hair, crying out in despair: “I’m done for! I’m finished!”
“Then…” 666 hesitated, “What about your confession plan….”
“What confession?!”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi was filled with a mix of anger and despair, utterly disgusted with himself for falling into a romantic trap. He covered his shame and fury, glaring at 666 as he scolded: “The most important thing right now is to stay alive! What’s the point of thinking about love and romance!”
“Okay…..”
666 sighed helplessly: “Then you better hurry back. Don’t let her find out that you already know about all this.”
“Yes.” Jian Xingzhi agreed with 666, “I need to get back quickly, and I need to treat her better. I have to teach her forgiveness, let her see my good side. Even if we can’t be friends, at least, she might let go of her hatred.”
“Oh.” 666 said expressionlessly, “Good luck, I believe in you.”
Having made up his mind and coming up with a plan, Jian Xingzhi felt much calmer.
He quickly got up, brushed the dirt off his butt, and hurried back to the Ning Manor.
Qin Wanwan returned to Ning Manor earlier than him. Upon seeing that Jian Xingzhi wasn’t back yet and only Cuilu was in the courtyard basking in the moonlight, she couldn’t help but ask in confusion: “Where’s my master?”
“He hasn’t come back.”
When Qin Wanwan heard that, her heart skipped a beat. She figured Jian Xingzhi must be feeling really down, so much so that he couldn’t even bring himself to come home from the streets.
Based on her understanding of Jian Xingzhi, her act of driving him away was probably a major blow for him, a significant setback in his life. If he was willing to go back quietly, his heart must have taken quite the hit.
Qin Wanwan thought for a moment and decided she had better coax him properly. So, after saying goodbye to Xie Gutang and the others, she headed to the gate of the Ning Manor to wait for Jian Xingzhi.
Jian Xingzhi was mentally preparing himself along the way, telling himself to stay calm and composed. When he saw the Lady of Jishan, he had to act just like he used to.
All along the way, he kept telling himself he was just returning to the Ning Manor. But from a distance, he saw Qin Wanwan sitting at the gate, waiting for him.
She was just like he remembered, so pure, so sweet, so gentle.
But for some reason, that sweetness, when contrasted with the wild laughter under the lightning just moments ago, suddenly felt eerie, even terrifying!
Jian Xingzhi came to a sudden stop. Qin Wanwan, bored from waiting so long, looked up and saw him standing in the distance. She immediately jumped to her feet and ran over happily: “Master! You’re back?!”
Jian Xingzhi said nothing. He kept telling himself not to be afraid, but for some reason, standing before that familiar face, he couldn’t shake off a deep, inexplicable sense of dread.
He stiffened, keeping a stern face and forcing himself to appear calm. Qin Wanwan thought he was angry and quickly tried to appease him: “Master, where did you go to have fun tonight? Have you finished the roasted chestnuts I bought you?”
“No.”
Jian Xingzhi squeezed out a single word. Qin Wanwan felt a twinge of guilt, assuming he must be truly angry this time. She lowered her head and began to explain: “I was a bit harsh with my words tonight, please don’t take it to heart. You’re the most important person to me, Master. It’s just… this matter isn’t something you should know for now. But one day..…”
“I don’t know, I don’t want to know!”
Jian Xingzhi hastily cut her off. He knew this had to be her suspicion, her test. He had to show absolute obedience, only then would this demoness lower her guard!
He quickly expressed his loyalty: “Do whatever you want, there’s no need to worry about me. I understand everything. It was my fault before, I… I was too selfish, too arrogant. You’re magnanimous, please, you must forgive me.”
Qin Wanwan stared at him in a daze as she listened to his words: “I… did my words hit you that hard?”
Has Jian Xingzhi learned to speak sarcastically now?
Jian Xingzhi looked at Qin Wanwan’s expression, unable to figure out what was going through the mind of this demoness. He could only force a casual tone: “Hit me? What do you mean by that? I’m just speaking the truth.” He paused, then gently took her hand, his expression serious. “That… Wanwan,” he continued, “you’re a noble, gentle, and tolerant immortal, aren’t you?”
“Master?”
“Be more tolerant.” He continued to persuade her, “No matter what mistakes I’ve made, I truly didn’t do it on purpose. I’m sincerely remorseful.”
Hearing these words, a trace of doubt flashed through Qin Wanwan’s mind.
“Master,” she probed cautiously, “do you… know something?”
“What?” Jian Xingzhi immediately tensed up, “What do I know?”
“You…” Qin Wanwan eyed him suspiciously, “Why did you suddenly start praising me, talking about tolerance and all that?”
“Ah.” Jian Xingzhi’s mind started racing as he swallowed nervously. Just as he was about to speak, he saw 666 had written a line in the prompt board in his mind, giving him the excuses he needed.
“I just wanted to express my guilt for ruining your plan at the boat race, and hope you can forgive me.”
That explanation sounded perfectly reasonable. Qin Wanwan felt a bit comforted that Jian Xingzhi was at least aware of that.
She let out a soft sigh and chuckled: “It’s okay, I’m used to it. The fact that you still wanted to win the trophy for me, I’m actually pretty happy about that.”
Speaking of this, a twinge of sadness crept into Qin Wanwan’s heart, she realized she had actually started to accept this version of Jian Xingzhi.
But she didn’t dwell on it. With a soft sigh, she reached out and tugged on his sleeve: “Come on, let’s go home.”
Jian Xingzhi remained silent, his eyes fixed on Qin Wanwan’s back as she walked ahead. In his mind, he began dissecting every word she had just said, every expression on her face.
Just now, she said she was used to it—that was disappointment.
She said she was happy he still wanted to win the trophy for her—that was compromise.
And she sighed, clearly, it seems she no longer held any thoughts about him anymore….
“Master.”
666 sensed Jian Xingzhi’s increasingly spiraling mood and immediately interrupted him: “Stop overthinking!”
“No,” Jian Xingzhi decided to change from the past, “I used to not think enough. From now on, I must think more!”
If only he had thought more before, he would have realized long ago that Qin Wanwan was Lady of Jishan.
What kind of immortal parents who sell candied hawthorns would have a daughter with that kind of power?!
Jian Xingzhi once again regretted his past recklessness as he was led back to the room by Qin Wanwan. Noticing his silence along the way, Qin Wanwan thought for a moment, then turned to look at him: “Master, how about we have a talk?”
She had learned a lot tonight, some of which were even related to Jian Xingzhi. She truly did want to discuss it with him.
“No need!”
The moment Jian Xingzhi heard she wanted to talk more, he immediately took a step back: “Rest well, I’ll just head back to sleep now!”
With that, he vanished like the wind, fleeing back to his own room in an instant.
Qin Wanwan watched the nervous Jian Xingzhi, hesitating for a moment before murmuring: “Alright then.”
Maybe after a good night’s sleep, he would feel better.
Qin Wanwan returned to her room in a daze, sat on the bed, and was about to meditate when she suddenly heard the voice of 38: “Host, tonight, 500 points will be deducted.”
“Why?!”
Qin Wanwan was stunned and explained loudly, but 38 yawned before responding: “Do you think you can just say anything to the people in this small world? The opportunity for you to speak those words to Yan Wushuang requires points to be exchanged.”
“Then why didn’t you remind me?!”
“Would you have not spoken if I reminded you?”
Qin Wanwan fell silent. She felt sorry for the points, but knowing that she couldn’t catch the wolf without letting go of the child, she could only sigh in regret: “Then, if Jian Xingzhi has opportunities to earn points through the affection branch, do I have any other chances to earn points besides the main quest?”
“Yes.”
38 said calmly: “Practice.”
Qin Wanwan: “…..”
The system for the great female lead was truly not deceiving her.
She thought for a moment and then said, “I need to rest well to have the energy to practice. I’ll sleep first.”
With that, she lay down and covered herself with the small quilt.
While Qin Wanwan slept soundly, Jian Xingzhi, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep a wink.
As long as the Soul Binding Talisman remained in Qin Wanwan’s hands, he wouldn’t find peace. He needed to get it back as soon as possible.
Going straight for it would surely alert the enemy. Right now, the only way is to…..
Steal it?
This shameful thought emerged in Jian Xingzhi’s mind.
“No way, I, the strongest sword immortal of the current generation, how could I do such a thing?”
Jian Xingzhi said with utmost conviction, pulling the blanket over himself and closing his eyes.
A moment later, he decisively got up, put on his shoes, and jumped out of bed.
“Anyway, I’m not a sword immortal anymore.”
[Mini Theater]
Jian Xingzhi: Morality is something you get used to falling away.
